Stolen Child

A Mother's Journey to Rescue Her Son From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Univ of Toronto PrLaurie Gough’s son was a regular, bright, unicycle-riding kid, until the day his grandpa died, when a tidal wave of uncontrollable thoughts consumed him. He became an echo of himself, a near-stranger dominated by bizarre rituals dreamed up to bring his grandpa back to life. Gough’s family took on the battle against OCD and won.A year in the desperate life of a boy transformed by OCD from a bright ten-year-old into a stranger in his own skin.

Although Laurie Gough was an intrepid traveller who had explored wild, far-off reaches of the globe, the journey she and her family took in their own home in their small Quebec village proved to be far more frightening, strange, and foreign than any land she had ever visited.

It began when Gough’s son, shattered by his grandfather’s death, transformed from a bright, soccer-ball kicking ten-year-old into a near-stranger, falling into trances where his parents couldn’t reach him and performing ever-changing rituals of magical thinking designed to bring his grandpa back to life.

Stolen Child examines a horrifying year in one family’s life, the lengths the parents went to to help their son, and how they won the battle against his all-consuming disorder.

Ingram Publishing ServicesA year in the desperate life of a boy transformed by OCD from a bright ten-year-old into a stranger in his own skin.

Although Laurie Gough was an intrepid traveller who had explored wild, far-off reaches of the globe, the journey she and her family took in their own home in their small Quebec village proved to be far more frightening, strange, and foreign than any land she had ever visited.

It began when Gough’s son, shattered by his grandfather’s death, transformed from a bright, soccer-ball kicking ten-year-old into a near-stranger, falling into trances where his parents couldn’t reach him and performing ever-changing rituals of magical thinking designed to bring his grandpa back to life.

Stolen Child examines a horrifying year in one family’s life, the lengths the parents went to to help their son, and how they won the battle against his all-consuming disorder.